Key Takeaways
Age Structure
The population of WSLHD is mainly concentrated in three age groups: 0–9, 30–39, and 60+.
Older adults are a key demographic, particularly in The Hills Shire, where more than half of the SA2s have over 20% of residents aged 60 and above.
Glenhaven shows the highest level of ageing, with more than 30% of its population aged 60 and above.
Young families are concentrated in northern Blacktown and along the southern boundary of The Hills Shire, where the proportions of couple-with-children, one-parent families, 20–39-year-olds, and 0–9-year-olds are all at their highest levels.
Suggested next step: Investigate ageing hotspots in The Hills Shire and areas with high concentrations of young families in northern Blacktown.
Cultural Diversity
WSLHD shows significant diversity, with most SA2s having 40–60% of residents born overseas and speaking a non-English language at home.
Parramatta and Cumberland stand out with particularly high proportions of overseas-born and non-English-speaking populations.
Suggested next step: Deep dive into analysis of the migrant composition within WSLHD (particularly Parramatta and Cumberland) to better understand settlement patterns.
Socioecnomics
Higher education and high-skilled occupations (managers or professionals) are concentrated in northern Blacktown, southern The Hills Shire, and Parramatta, where bachelor’s degree attainment and professional employment proportions are relatively high.
Lower education levels and other occupations are concentrated in southern Blacktown and Cumberland, indicating socio-economic disadvantage.
Household income in WSLHD is mainly distributed across three groups:
- Very low income: weekly $1–$999
- Middle income: $1,500–$2,499
- Very high income: more than $3,000
The Hills Shire stands out, with almost all SA2s having more than 10% of households earning a very high income each week.
Suggested next step: Map socio-economic disparities, focusing on southern Blacktown and Cumberland as priority areas.
Health Profile
WSLHD overall shows a relatively healthy population profile, with approximately 80% of residents reporting no health conditions.
Among the ten selected conditions, arthritis, asthma, diabetes, and mental health conditions are the most prevalent in WSLHD and are also the most common across the NSW metropolitan region.
Southern Blacktown is a key high-burden area, consistently showing the highest proportionacross these four conditions.
Suggested next step: conduct a deep-dive analysis into the health profiles of residents in southern Blacktown.
Exploratory Data Analysis
Note:
Grey area represents non-residential.
White line represents SA2 boundaries.
Black line represents LGA boundaries.
Green line represents LHD boundaries.
Population Size
The largest populations of WSLHD are concentrated in SA2s around Blacktown, Parramatta, and parts of Cumberland, showing these areas as major population hubs within WSLHD.
the top 3 SA2s with the highest population counts:
- Lalor Park – Kings Langley (25,373),
- Schofields East (25,130)
- Baulkham Hills – East (24,726)
Northern parts of The Hills Shire and eastern sections of Blacktown have high population densities, while the central and southern SA2s display moderate population sizes.
Compared to the broader NSW metropolitan region, WSLHD has multiple SA2s with population sizes exceeding 20,000.
| sa2_name_2021 | pop_size |
|---|---|
| Lalor Park - Kings Langley | 25373 |
| South Hurstville - Blakehurst | 25259 |
| Charlestown - Dudley | 25254 |
| Schofields - East | 25130 |
| Baulkham Hills - East | 24726 |
| Umina - Booker Bay - Patonga | 24697 |
| Quakers Hill | 24670 |
| Ermington - Rydalmere | 24641 |
| Kingswood - Werrington | 24625 |
| Lindfield - Roseville | 24599 |
Age Group
The age structure of WSLHD is characterised by three prominent groups: children aged 0–9, working-age adults aged 30–39, and older adults aged 60 and above.
Younger groups are mainly concentrated in the northern parts of Blacktown and the eastern areas of Parramatta. Wentworth Point – Sydney Olympic Park stands out with the highest concentration of young working professionals, where over 30% of the population falls into 30-39 age group.
WSLHD shows a relatively higher level of ageing compared with other NSW metropolitan LHDs.
Across most SA2s in The Hills Shire, the proportion of residents aged 60 and above exceeds 20%.
Glenhaven stands out with a particularly high level of ageing, where more than 30% of the population is aged 60 and above.
Sex
- WSLHD and NSW Metropolitan both show balanced sex distribution.
Culture Diversity
WSLHD overall shows significant diversity, with most SA2s having overseas-born and non-English speaking at home in the range of 40% to 60%.
The northern part of The Hills Shire is dominated by Australian-born and English speaking residents.
Parramatta** and Cumberland SA2s have very high proportions of overseas-born residents and non-English speaking households.
Compared with Northern Sydney and South Eastern Sydney, WSLHD overall has a much higher share of overseas-born residents, particularly in the southern and central SA2s.
Family Composition
Couples with children make up the largest share of households in WSLHD.
Young families are concentrated in the northern parts of Blacktown and along the boundary between the southern areas of The Hills Shire and neighbouring SA2s.
Couples without children are more common in The Hills Shire and Parramatta, with particularly high proportions observed in Wentworth Point – Sydney Olympic Park.
One-parent families are concentrated in some parts of south-western Blacktown.
Compared with other NSW Metropolitan LHDs, WSLHD has:
A higher number of families with children than in NSLHD and SESLHD.
A higher number of couples without children in northern WSLHD compared with northern NSLHD.
The proportion of couples without children in southern WSLHD is similar to other LHDs, generally ranging from 10% to 15%.
| sa2_name_2021 | young_family_prop | young_family_est | geometry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marsden Park - Shanes Park | 0.0180755 | 280.6047 | MULTIPOLYGON (((150.8124 -3… |
| Schofields - East | 0.0163444 | 410.7345 | MULTIPOLYGON (((150.9063 -3… |
| Box Hill - Nelson | 0.0159692 | 164.2756 | MULTIPOLYGON (((150.9232 -3… |
| Schofields (West) - Colebee | 0.0150101 | 150.2663 | MULTIPOLYGON (((150.8671 -3… |
| Riverstone | 0.0126484 | 175.1041 | MULTIPOLYGON (((150.874 -33… |
| North Kellyville | 0.0121234 | 210.9600 | MULTIPOLYGON (((150.9329 -3… |
| Wentworthville - Westmead | 0.0115789 | 249.7337 | MULTIPOLYGON (((150.9615 -3… |
| Parramatta - North | 0.0103192 | 124.4706 | MULTIPOLYGON (((150.9944 -3… |
| Quakers Hill | 0.0102138 | 251.9743 | MULTIPOLYGON (((150.8753 -3… |
| Lethbridge Park - Tregear | 0.0097864 | 210.9076 | MULTIPOLYGON (((150.7618 -3… |
Education Level
Overall, WSLHD has relatively lower education levels compared with NSLHD, SESLHD.
In around 80% of SA2s within WSLHD, the proportion of residents whose highest education is below high school exceeds 40%.
-Bachelor’s degree or higher qualifications are concentrated mainly in the Parramatta area, where the proportion typically reaches around 40% or above.
Occupation
The number and proportion of residents working as managers or professionals in WSLHD are generally lower compared with NSLHD and SESLHD.
Within WSLHD, most SA2s have less than 40% of their workforce employed in managerial or professional roles.
SA2s where the proportion exceeds 40% are mainly concentrated in the northern parts of Blacktown, the southern areas of The Hills Shire, and around Parramatta.
| sa2_name_2021 | managers_professionals | prop_managers_professionals |
|---|---|---|
| Epping (East) - North Epping | 4390 | 0.6045167 |
| West Pennant Hills | 3741 | 0.5933386 |
| Epping (NSW) - West | 5172 | 0.5784588 |
| Parramatta - North | 3827 | 0.5704278 |
| Castle Hill - West | 1510 | 0.5537220 |
| Kellyville - West | 3165 | 0.5516821 |
| Castle Hill - North | 3212 | 0.5513217 |
| Wentworth Point - Sydney Olympic Park | 6470 | 0.5474236 |
| Baulkham Hills (West) - Bella Vista | 5885 | 0.5381802 |
| Castle Hill - South | 2725 | 0.5347331 |
Household Type
WSLHD is predominantly characterised by one-family households across most SA2s.
Non-family households are relatively uncommon overall and are mainly concentrated in a few areas around Parramatta, particularly in high-density apartment precincts such as Wentworth Point – Sydney Olympic Park.
Household Income
Household income in WSLHD is mainly distributed across three key groups: very low income (weekly
$1–$999), middle income ($1,500–$2,499), and very high income (more than$3,000).Overall, households in the central and northern parts of WSLHD are generally more affluent compared with those in the south.
The Hills Shire stands out, with almost all SA2s having more than 10% of households earning a very high income each week.
Apart from the northern areas, which are relatively wealthier compared with other LHDs, the southern parts of WSLHD show household income levels broadly comparable to other NSW metropolitan LHDs.
Labour Force Status
Across WSLHD, the 60% of residents are employed, accounting for around 60% of the population.
Approximately 40% of residents are not in the labour force, with this group concentrated mainly in the southern parts of Blacktown and across several SA2s in Cumberland.
Health Profile
Overall, WSLHD shows a relatively healthy population profile.
Across all SA2s, around 80% of residents report having no chronic health conditions.
Approximately 20% of residents report having one chronic condition, while the proportion of residents with multiple conditions is relatively low.
Among the ten selected health conditions, arthritis, asthma, diabetes, and mental health conditions are the four most prevalent in WSLHD and also the most common across the NSW metropolitan region.
Overall, these four conditions represent the highest health burdens within WSLHD, with notable hotspots in southern Blacktown, parts of Cumberland, and specific SA2s in The Hills Shire and Parramatta.
Arthritis
Proportion is mainly concentrated in the southern parts of Blacktown, the southern areas of The Hills Shire, central and northern Parramatta, and across much of Cumberland.
In these areas, the proportion is around 6%, while Glenhaven in The Hills Shire stands out with a particularly high proportion exceeding 10%.Asthma
Nearly 80% of SA2s in WSLHD have asthma proportion above 6%.
Southern Blacktown has rates approaching 9%, with Lethbridge Park – Tregear showing the highest proportion, exceeding 10%.Diabetes
Diabetes proportion is also concentrated in the southern parts of Blacktown, where the proportion typically exceeds 6%.Mental health conditions
Mental health conditions are more evenly distributed across WSLHD, with proportion ranging between 3% and 6%.Higher proportions are observed in southern Blacktown and central Parramatta, where rates are around 6%.
